Jan 31, 2011

Before voting for your favorite female blogger closes at 6 pm today (check out the little image to the right ->), let me seize the opportunity to introduce to you another contestant: Kathrin of DRUEBERLEBEN, a blog on surviving depression.

Follow the jump below to find out why blogging turns Kathrin on, why she believes that every blogger cares about the number of her readers (even those who claim otherwise), and why reaching many people through your writing isn't always nice...

Jan 29, 2011

The fact that, with the help of Vodafone and Orange/France Telecom, the (now resigned) Egyptian government shut down the country's Internet and cut the phone lines. [Access Now has a petition for you to sign!]

The ongoing debate amongst German bloggers whether it is OK to accept money for links from SEO companies - by guaranteeing discretion to their contractors and without labelling those links as sponsored. [Please find a long and informative German article on the subject here.]

Proxy servers and proxy clouds. I have only a very vague understanding of how they work, which is pretty much based on a Wikipedia article [in German or English] on the topic and the image shown above. (Of all people, by the way, it was my mother who inquired with me about this!)

A photo series by photographer Gabriela Herman that portrays bloggers from New York City - after all both female and male - in settings that are, well, unrealistic to say the least. While Gabriela's photos might be atmospheric, I can hardly imagine people blogging standing up in front of their open fridges or naked on the sofa. It bothers me, really, that series like these still portray bloggers as people who are, in spite of their respective expertise and voluntary, unpaid night-shifts, nothing more than convenient hobbyists.

BUT I have other things on my list for this afternoon and will have to see how I get ahead with them before immersing in any of the above mentioned topics. Hope my little summary was better than nothing, though.

Jan 26, 2011

One of the most recent additions to my feed reader is Ninia Binias's blog Ninia LaGrande. A woman who, with her charming self-description on Twitter- "Short. Puberty. Still short." - quite obviously sells herself... short.

Follow the jump below to find out how Ninia's nick came about (if you can't guess at this point), what easy way she recommends to come up with a concept for your own blog, and why commuting might turn anyone of us into a news junkie.

Jan 23, 2011

Again, I've collected quite a long list of interesting stipends, CFPs and summer schools. Follow the jump below for more information on programmes encouraging cultural dialogue between Germany and Africa and Eastern Europe respectively, and also for a CFP in Cultural Studies. If this sounds interesting, do also check my last collection of funded programmes - some of the deadlines mentioned then are still open and inviting applications.

Jan 21, 2011

Sharpen your pencils: ResearchNexus.org, an Australian social networking site for academics, is currently inviting submissions for an essay competition on WikiLeaks. With a cash prize of $1000 privately sponsored Australian Dollars, writing between 500 and 750 words on Julian Assange's recent treatment and WikiLeaks' widespread political condemnation shouldn't come all too hard. Exact essay question and more info here. (No mention of a deadline so far, but I've inquired and will keep you posted.)

Jan 20, 2011

Another nominee for the Female Blogger of the Year Awards is Charlott Schönwetter, formerly known as Ebert ( ;) ). As a student of both African Studies and Sociology, she has plenty of knowledge at hand to share on her blogAfrika Wissen Schaft. Follow the jump to find out why Charlott really took up blogging, why she posts in German instead of in English, and why she hasn't mustered up the courage to post images yet.

Poet Katharina Schultens wrote an interesting article on the role of female lyricists in German publishing. In the case study she provides, it's supportive at best:

Since 2001, were there really only two female poets that matched the publisher's program? Should there be something made of the fact that the two female poets that did get published aren't primarily known as lyricists, while all published men are? And, without becoming too pettish, why is it that the women's works are 'love poems' and the men's 'poems'?

Jan 18, 2011

The Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS awards a scholarship for the pursuit of an MPhil/PhD degree there which covers full tuition fees for three years. Unfortunately, application deadline for this particular stipend is 31 January 2011 already. More info on it here, general information regarding other scholarships at SOAS there.

And then there's the BPB's Youth Democracy Award that carries a value of 3000€ and honors young people engaged in European Democracy. Apply before 1 February 2011.

Jan 17, 2011

Due to a district-wide, half-hour power outage on Saturday afternoon I have been unable to access the Internet from home since then. This, of course, makes blogging somewhat difficult. So on Sunday, I read Alison Bechdel's surprisingly well-written graphic novel Fun Home in one go, consciously listened to music, re-arranged furniture and cleaned out my closet. Pretty much the stuff I used to do before the Net came around. And, wow, I quite enjoyed it. I was really surprised at how high the pile of books I have been meaning to read for a long time has gotten. [Apropos reading: I had one last week in Neukölln. For more info on how it went and a photo of me slumped over my manuscript, feel free to check out my other blog.]On top of that pile lies songwriter Patti Smith's autobiography Just Kids which was given to me as a Christmas present by my dad. I'm really looking forward to this and will start reading it as soon as I finished We Need to Talk About Kevin, which, as I learned after I started, won the British Orange Prize - an award especially designed for female fiction writers. And like every year in January, I have resolved to read more books this year than last in 2011 as well. If you'd like to join me in my pledge, add a Read the Printed Word button to your blog or join The 50 Books Challenge.

Jan 14, 2011

Some of you might have noticed that since December, I have been selling Girls Can Blog bags (pictured to the left is bag 'Magda'). So far, you could buy and pay only via direct bank transfer to me. Now, thanks to my brand new Etsy shop, you may also shop via PayPal. Listing my items there cost me about 3€ so far, which I think is fair enough. BUT I'll immediately shut down my accounts there if the system doesn't help you guys in any way - PayPal cutting of WikiLeaks from all financing was an anti-democratic move and their fees are very high. So basically, what I am trying to say: I'd still much prefer you emailing me your bag requests directly.

Just drop me a message with your order or questions to girlscanblog [at] googlemail [dot] com and I'll happily provide you with all necessary further information.

Jan 13, 2011

With her blog Stadtpiratin, Eva Ricarda Lautsch has also made it onto the list of nominees for the Mädchenmannschaft's Female Blogger of the Year awards - congratulations!To vote for your personal favorite before 31 January, click on the little drawing to the right ->

With a powerful mix of political, feminist and web issues, the 20 year old managed to gather a faithful readership around her writing. Now if you like, follow the jump to find out more about her blog for "independent people of all sexes"...

Jan 12, 2011

Mid-December, the Mädchenmannschaft published a long German post on Ella Baker, complete with an acapella version of a song sung in her honour by a band called 'Sweet Honey in the Rock.' And mid-November, it was the Mädchenmannschaft's Magda again, who dug out a brilliant live version of Beth Ditto's 'Standing in the Way of Control'.

Mediterranes, the magazine associated with the Euro-Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development (EMA), is calling for all sorts of contributions on 'Environment and Energy': Articles, photos, interviews... Whatever you got! Follow the links provided for more [German] info on the call for papers, the magazine and its submissionion guidelines. There were no specifications made regarding compensation or submission language (that I assume to be German in spite of the organization's English name).

Jan 8, 2011

Janina Scheidmann is one of those brave people who dare to stand in front of a class of pupils doomed 'problem students' in one of the roughest neighbourhoods of Berlin. Good for us that she blogs about her experiences in art class on Kunstkrempel - an delivers an honest and sensitive account of her work.

Follow the jump to find out more about blogging at the intersection of art, life and school, why to Janina blogging is also an art form, and why she would like to be read by many more readers still...

Jan 7, 2011

The Washington-based Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) has recently made available a new report on Citizen Journalism written by journalist Eugene Meyer. Click here to download the free .PDF-file of 34 pages. Image: CIMA

Jan 5, 2011

This is what I look like unable to attend my Yoga class and stuck in bed due to menstruation cramps. (No, not really. I stole this image here.) I just wanted to let everyone know that sweating under hot-water bottles sucks. I'd rather practice my elephant pose. (Again, not me, just from Flickr.)

Jan 4, 2011

Along with nine other blogs, Girls Can Blog has been nominated for an important German blog award! Help me - or any of the other girls - win this by voting* for your favorite female blogger here, and, better yet, by sharing the link to the election via your channels. Thanks so much!*Watch out, the poll is hidden next to the article in the left side bar.

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